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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The Different Lands and What Makes Them Magic

Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World each are one central park, but within those parks, the different lands enable you to go from turn-of-the century America, take a couple of steps, and enter the future.

Fantasyland Popcorn, brought to you by the Abominable Snowman

I'm talking about going from Main Street U.S.A. into Tomorrowland, of course. The most blatant signs of entering the new lands are of course the signs and drastic changes in architecture, but Disney does so much more to ensure those couple of steps transport you into a different world, or land, technically.

My personal favorite, something that I've loved since a child, are the different characters that are turning the popcorn machines at the popcorn stands, by the Matterhorn it's the Abominable Snowman.

The Cast Member's costumes change, from classic American styles down Main Street, to jungle wear in Adventureland, to futuristic garb in Tomorrowland. One thing that doesn't change is the food, for the most part. In certain parts of the park there are specialized food vendors, like the Dole Pineapple spears for sale at the Tiki Room entrance, or the Mint julep and Fritters offered in New Orleans Square. You can always find a good Turkey Leg or Mickey Mouse shaped dipped ice cream. It's the vendors that always match the style of the land.

The Haunted Mansion popcorn ghoul

A recent blog post by Chip and Company points out the change in music from land to land. This is even more apparent from attraction to attraction, like Space Mountain's futuristic score to the classic Yodeler's theme at the Matterhorn. A frequent visitor to the park can close their eyes and let their ears tell them where they are. Sometimes when I'm missing the park, I listen to A Musical History of Disneyland, it always puts me right there in the parks, not matter where I am. It also reinforces the idea that music makes the lands.

Sometimes I look to my nose to tell me where I am. On Main Street, the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor always smells of waffle cones. From what I hear, they pump out an artificial smell. It doesn't matter to me, as the smell always tastes better than the cone. In New Orleans squares, it's the fritters, by Splash Mountain in Critter country, it's the chlorine from the log flume, near the train stations it's the smell of the train's smoke.

No matter where you are, there's always one sense besides sight that will tell you where you are in the park.